Python mock access "real" objects while mocking a module -

is possible access "real" objects while mocking module? i'm trying mock function, throw "real" exceptions, this:

@mock.patch('my_project.requests') def test_foo(self,  mock_requests):      mock_requests.post = mock.mock(side_effect=requests.connectionerror())      thread = commandthread("command", 3, 2, 0)     thread.run() #this exercise requests.post      self.assert(thread.was_successful false) 

inside commandthread have check like

try:     requests.post(url, data=data) except (requests.connectionerror, requests.timeout):     self.was_successful = false 

however, test fails because exception not caught inside try/except block (when except exception: works) reason, think, because mocked "namespace" in test case, raise my_project.requests.connectionerror exception rather proper, requests.connectionerror original package. somehow possible access/throw "real" exceptions?

this happening because mock overwriting entire requests module in code. here how can debug this:

in code, add this:

try:     requests.post('', data='') except (requests.connectionerror, requests.timeout):     was_successful = false except exception, err:     import pdb     pdb.set_trace() 

when run test, dropped debugger can take @ happening. if @ catching, see:

(pdb) requests.connectionerror <magicmock name='requests.connectionerror' id='4562438992'> 

you catching mock connectionerror because mock patched out entire requests module , feeding in real requests error.

you can fix making mock more specific , overriding post method on requests module:

@mock.patch('my_project.requests.post') def test_foo(self,  mock_requests):     mock_requests.side_effect = requests.connectionerror()     ...